Paper-bag holder



E. A. WHORLEY. PAPER BAG HOLDER.

APPLl-CATION FILED MAR. 12, 1920.

Patented 001;. 12, 1920.

INVENTOR 6/76 fl War/6y ATTORNEY paratus UNITED STATES EUGENE A. WHORLEY, OF ROANOKE, VIRGINIA.

PAPER-BAG HOLDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Application filed March 12, 1920. Serial No. 365,2I4.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, EUGENE A. WHORLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Roanoke, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, have invented a new and useful Paper-Bag Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of apdesigned for dispensing empty paper bags or like articles for use in stores and similar places.

The object is to provide a simply constructed device of this character having a sightly appearance which is adapted to hold a supply of empty paper bags of diiferent sizes, and having dispensing compartments to be filled or replenished from time to time, such compartments being within easy reach of the storekeeper and adapted to hold each a plurality of bags of one size which may be readily grasped, one at a time, the upper one only being in a position to be so grasped, and readily freed from thecompartment and the holding means therefor, the next bag in order being automatically placed in exposed position to be grasped the next time.

A full and complete understanding of the invention may be obtained from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a bag dispensing apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the device;

Fig. 3 is a detail horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scale and showing in plan view one of the bag holding members.

Under present conditions loss is daily incurred by storekeepers, where paper bags are thrown upon the counters or similar places in their original packages, or in bulk, and allowed to be used indiscriminately by clerks, who often pick up more than one at a time, while others are allowed to scatter and be damaged or lost.

The present invention is designed to avoid this loss through the carelessness of employees, by holding a quantity of differently sized empty paper bags within full View and easy reach, and to so support the said bags as to cause only one at a time, and that the top one, to be capable of being grasped and removed from certain holding means within each of the several bag-holding compartments, the said holding means effectually preventing the second bag from adhering to and following the one being removed. In addition to this, the apparatus is provided with other compartments for holding a surplus of empty bags from which supply the dispensing compartments may be replenished.

The apparatus is constructed entirely of sheet metal suitably cut and reinforced, the several parts being riveted together to form an upstanding dispensing rack or cabinet comprising side walls or plates 1, preferably tapered throughout their upper portions, as indicated at 2, and enlarged at their lower portions, to form the rectangular side members or plates 3 of a supply cabinet 3 for containing surplus bags in packages. I

Attheir lower edges, the side members 3 are suitably secured to a base 4, which may be formed of a wooden board, as shown, or may consist of a suitable sheet of metal, the said base being somewhat extended beyond .the edges and sides of the plates 3 a sufficient distance to give ample support upon the floor or other supporting surface.

The side plates 3 are spaced apart a distance substantially equal to their respective widths, so that the cabinet or storage space 3 defined thereby, is substantially square, and the said plates are connected together, at intervals, one above the other, by horizontally disposed shelves 5 formed of sheet metal and suitably flanged for the reception of rivets 6 which securely hold the shelves 5 in position and serve to brace the side plates 3. These shelves may be arranged different distances apart for holding difl'erently sized bundles of bags, and are arranged preferably, throughout the entire height of the rectangular lower or cabinet portion 3 of the holder, which portion is to be substantially the same height as the standard store counter. At the top of said rectangular portion 3 an outstanding shelf 7, suitably flanged at the inner edge for the reception of rivets 8, is secured at each side to the plates 3, and is equipped with an angularly bent brace 9, secured respectively at one end to the outer edge of the shelf 7 and at the center thereof and at the other end to the side .wall 3. These shelves may be found to be handy for various purposes.

The tapered upper portions of the side 7 members 1 are connected together at their tops by a sheet metal box 10, open at its top and suitably secured to the side plates, said box being adapted to hold a ball of wrapping cord for use in tying-up bundles. At one side of the box and carried by the upper edge of the side plates, are two eyes 11 and 12 respectively, the said side plates being further provided with a downwardly exillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, is

adapted to be passed, after being passed through the centrally disposed eye llfrorn the ball of cord within the box 10. The end of the cord is then" brought upwardly and passed through the other eye 12 and allowed to hang at the side of the cabinet, the terminal of the cord being substantially lifted from the shelf 7 or counter by the weight of the rod 13, as will bereadily understood.

supporting members 17 composed of sheet metal and curved asshown clearly in Fig.

; 2, each member having. an attaching flange '18 located at itsoppositeinneredges and 7 adapted to be secured to the side plates l by rivets 19 or otherwise, just in rear of inwardly directed upright guide flanges 20,

formed integrally with said side plates and extending from the lower edges of the attaching'flanges 18 upwardly along the tapered edges of the plates 1 and somewhat above the curved supporting member 17.

Inclined braces21; formed of strips of sheet metal and connected at their outer ends, as at 22, are riveted at their lower ends 23 to the i11ner-faces of the side walls 1, and adjacent to their outer edges. The said braces are bent laterally to provide oflsets 21, for a purpose to be explained, and being secured through their connecting portions22, to the curved supporting plates or members 17 by means of rivets 25.

Adapted to co-act with each supporting plate or member 17, is a bag clamping or holding member formed of an open frame composed of side plates 26 spaced apart a distance to easily enter between the opposed inner edges of the flanges 20 joined at their ends by inner and outer connecting walls 26 and 27 respectively, the inner wall 26 being angularly bent longitudinally, as

This connection between the inner ends of the bag clamping member and the flanges 20 provides a loose pivot and causes the said member to rise and fall so as to accommodate itself to the number supporting member. I

lVhen the lugs are thus positioned behind the flanges 20, the outer connecting wall 27, which is also angularl'y bent longitudinally as shown, and provided with an outstanding flange 27 at its upper edge, will swing in a circular path of movement, with the said lugs 28 as pivots, so as to strike the outer ends of the curved bag-supporting members 17. The longitudinal bend in the outer wall 27 cooperates with the downwardly bent or curved outer end of the supporting member 17 to hold the closed ends of the bags with their folded'bottoms in the positions shown, so that the topmost bag may be readil grasped in releasing the same. As shown of bags in the the side plates 26 of the bag clamping niem- V ber are considerablywider apart than the width of the bag supporting plate or member 17, and may freely ride downwardly on the outside of the same, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawing, until the lower edgesof said side walls 26 contact with the laterally bent oifsets 24: of the braces 21, which offsets serve as stops to prevent any further downward movement thereof only when the supporting and clamping members are free ofbagsn i' V The supporting members are spaced different distancesapart throughout the height of the cabinet, and while there are only two sets of the same shown in the drawing upon opposite'sides of the latter, it is to be understood that the side walls 1 may be continued up any distance and equipped with the supporting and clamping means as described,

so that, by reason of the tapering side edges the walls 1,- and their approaching each other toward the top, it will be seen that the same means may range from the largest bag holding means at the bottom of the cabinet to the smallest bag holding means at the top.

lVhen the bags are placed in the dispensing apparatus, each size package or bundle of bags in its appropriate holding and clamping members, the clamping member is first lifted out of its engagement between the side walls 1, the lugs 28 being freed from their positions behind the flanges 20, then a package or a plurality of bags are placed upon the supporting plate or member 17, the open ends of the bundle of bags lying interiorly between the walls 1 and the folded bottoms 30 of said bags resting upon the outer ends of the plates 17. The clamping member is then placed in position, when the inner connecting wall 26 thereof will bear upon the open ends of the bags (Fig. 2) and the outer connecting wall 27 of the clamping member will bear upon the folded bottoms 20 of the bags, the intermediate portions of the bags extending through the opening of the frame. The upper bent portion of the said wall 27 causes the inner portion of the folded bottom of the uppermost bag to stand up in a position to be readily grasped by the hand of the operator, and readily removed from beneath the clamping member, which because of its weight retards the second bag from outward movement but immediately causes the folded bottom thereof to assume the position just held by the preceding bag, as will be readily understood.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a simple and efiicient bag holding and dispensing apparatus has been provided, which may be cheaply constructed from sheet metal and sold at a low cost and that the same is capable of holding a quantity of bags of different sizes, and of dispensing the same, one at a time, thus effecting a considerable saving, and also holding in convenient location a large reserve store of dif 'ferently sized bags.

What is claimed is 1. A bag holder comprising side walls, and a series of bag-supporting and clamping members carried by said side walls, each supporting member consisting of a curved plate having its opposite ends bent downwardly so as to cause the bags to assume a curved position when placed thereon, and the bag-clamping members each consisting of an open frame embracing the bag-supporting members, said bag-clamping member having its inner end ,pivotally connected to the side walls and both ends overhanging the respective curved ends of the bag-supporting member, whereby the bags are engaged at" their open ends by the inner end of the bag-clamping member and at their closed ends by the outer end thereof, causing the intermediate portion of the bags to be projected through the open portion of the frame and exposing the bottom of the topmost bag so as tobe grasped in removing the same.

2. A bag-holder comprising side vertically disposed walls, a curved bag-supporting member secured at its inner end to the side walls and projecting outwardly therefrom, the opposite ends of said member projecting downwardly so as to cause the bags to assume a curved position, upright flanges provided on the side walls, and a bag-clamping member consisting of side plates and angularly-bent inner and outer walls, said inner wall cooperating with the inner end of said bag-supporting member to hold the open inner ends of the bags supported thereon, lugs provided on the clamping member to engage with the flanges and constituting a loose pivot for the bagclamping member, the outer wall being adapted to cooperate with the downwardly bent outer end of the supporting member to hold the closed ends of the bags and expose the bottom of the topmost bag, and means for limiting the downward movement of said bag-clamping member. 7

3. A bag-holder comprising a cabinet having upstanding side walls, inwardly directed opposed upright flanges provided on the edges of said walls at spaced intervals, bag-supporting members secured at their inner ends to the side walls, and bagclamping members having side plates, said plates being joined by inner and outer connecting walls, the inner wall being extended to form outstanding lugs adapted to engage behind the said flanges of the cabinet walls to expose the inner flap of the uppermost bag bottom to be readily grasped and removed.

t. A bag-holder comprising a cabinet having tapered upstanding side walls approaching each other toward their tops and connected at their tops and bottoms, in wardly directed opposed upright flanges provided on the edges of said walls at spaced intervals, downwardly extending arcuately curved bag-supporting members secured at their inner ends to the side walls intermediate the ends of the flanges, braces supporting the outer downwardly extending ends of the members, and bag-clamping members having vertically-disposed side plates adapted to lie parallel with and between the side walls of the cabinet, said plates being joined by inner and outer con- &

neeting Walls the inner; Wall being extended to form outstanding lugs adapted to engage behind the saidflanges of the cabinet Walls resting upon the supporting members and to expose the inner fiap of the uppermost bag bottom to be readily grasped and removed, the bag-clamping member immediately falling to retain the second bag in such exposed position. 7

' In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, 1 have hereto ELffiXQCl my signature.

EUGENE A. WHORLEY. 

